Dispensing and advertising container



M, I36, IF. A. MARX DISPENSING AND ADVERTISING CONTAINER Jam Filed May 3, 1934 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING AND ADVERTISING CONTAINER Application May 3, 1934, Serial No. 723,741 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-44) This invention relates to a container, particularly a cardboard container, adapted to serve as an effective advertising medium and provided with novel means for dispensing goods advertised on and held within the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind particularly adapted for use on the counter in retail stores.

Another object is to provide such means in which the goods may be instantly dispensed by a customer or by a clerk in the store.

Another object is to provide such a container simply and efficiently constructed and adapted for unimpaired operation during the entire period in which goods are held in the container for dispensing.

Another object is to provide a container of the kind described formed of a single blank of material.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of the device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the easel removed.

Dispensing containers of the general character of the present invention have heretofore been produced but these have commonly comprised an access aperture or the like at the bottom of the containers and adapted to have the finger of an operator inserted therein to remove the goods. The resultant frequent handling of the container caused quick deterioration thereof so that it was frequently necessary to discard the container be fore all the goods had been dispensed therefrom. Moreover, such handling of the container resulted in disfiguration thereof so that its value as a counter advertisement was substantially nullified.

The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other diiiiculties heretofore experienced, and provides for a container having an operating lever or tongue extending laterally of the container and adapted to be reciprocated by the operator and to dispense an article of merchandise from either side of the container upon each movement of said tongue. In addition, the container is so constructed as to provide an uninterrupted surface constituting the complete front of the container and providing a considerable and effective advertising space.

With reference to the drawing: the container is formed of a single blank in which the section 5 constitutes the front of the container which may if desired be formed with an extension 6 at the top to enlarge and vary the advertising area. The blank thereafter is suitably creased as at I, 8, 9, and I0 to provide the sides It and I2 and the rear l3. Beyond the crease line It), a section M of the blank is returned behind and secured to the rear face of the front 5, extending substan tially half the distance across said front. Thereafter the blank is creased again as at I5 and extended across to the rear l3 of the container for providing a vertical partition Hi. The extreme end of the blank may be folded to provide a flange l1 adapted to be secured to the inner face of rear l3.

The blank may be further formed to provide tuck-in flaps l8 and [9 at the top and bottom respectively of the container, the top edge of the partition l6 being terminated short of the flap I8, at the front of the container, so as to permit in-' sertion of the flange 20 of said flap (see Fig. 2). The bottom edges of the container associated with the bottom flap l9 may be cut on an angular line as at 2| (Fig. 1) whereby the container, when operatively disposed, assumes a backwardly slanting position. For supporting the container in this position, the rear I? may have secured thereto a foldable easel 22 comprising the rearwardly extensible support 23 for standing the container, and the perforate tab 24 enabling the container to be hung up if so desired.

The side walls H and 12 are provided adjacent the bottom with oppositely disposed dispensing apertures 25 and 26. The partition 16 divides the container into two equal compartments. Said partition terminates short of the bottom of the container and is extended outwardly of the container through the aperture25 in the form of a slidable lever or tongue 21. This tongue is hingedly connected with the bottom of partition 16 by the intervening link member 28 formed by a score line 29 provided adjacent the inner end of tongue 21. The opposite side or edge of the link member 28 is connected to the lower end of the partition I6 along a score line 42 which facilitates swinging movement of the link member, as will be described. Said tongue 2! is slidably disposed upon a false bottom 30 provided within the container body. The two compartments formed as described are each. adapted to hold a stack of dispensable articles 3|. The stack in the left hand compartment 32 rests upon the false bottom 30 while the stack in the right hand compartment 33 rests upon the tongue 21. The link member is substantially in alignment with the dispensing apertures 25 and 26 and is normally adapted to be vertically positioned between the ends of the lowermost articles of the two stacks. For facilitating positioning of the stacks of articles within the container, the elongated slots 40 and M are cut in the rear 13 of the container, each slot being in substantial registration with one of the stacks of merchandise.

To operate the device the tongue 21 is either pushed inwardly of or pulled outwardly of the container. In the first instance, the link member 28 assumes the position seen at 34 (Fig. 2), abutting the left hand lowermost articles 35 and projecting it outwardly of the aperture 26. When the tongue 2'! is pulled out, the link member takes the substantial position seen at 38 (Fig. 2) contasting the lowermost right hand article 31 and carrying it outwardly of the aperture 25. It is obvious that after the lowermost articles have dispensable articles are held by the container. It

provides not only an attractive advertising surface on its front but likewise a novel dispensing mechanism which is in itself a potent advertising factor.

Modifications become apparent upon considering the means of this invention but these are believed to be comprised within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body, a vertical partition in the body dividing the interior into two compartments each adapted to receive a stack of dispensable articles, the container body adjacent the bottom being provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed dispensing apertures each associated with one of said compartments, a tongue in one of said compartments adjacent the bottom thereof and beneath the stack of articles normally disposed therein, said tongue having one end extending exteriorly of its compartment through the associated dispensing aperture, and a link member hingedly connected with the inner end of said tongue and the lower end of said partition and normally disposed vertically between the lowermost articles of said stacks, said link member upon inward or outward movement of said tongue being adapted to project the lowermost dispensable article in one or other of said compartments through the associated dispensing aperture.

2. A dispensing container comprising a container body, a vertical partition in the body dividing the interior into two compartments, the container body adjacent the bottom being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed lateral dispensing apertures each associated with one of said compartments, a false bottom in the container body at substantially the height of said apertures and adapted to support stacks of dispensable articles disposed one stack in each compartment, a tongue in one of said compartments and slidably disposed on said false bottom beneath the stack of articles normally held in said compartment, said tongue having one end extending exteriorly of its compartment through the associated dispensing aperture, and a link member hingedly connected with the inner end of said tongue and the lower end of said partition and normally disposed vertically between the lowermost articles of said stacks, said link member 5 upon inward or outward movement of said tongue being adapted to be swung in a corresponding direction for projecting the lowermost dispensable article in one or other of said compartments through the associated dispensing aperture, 10

3. A dispensing container comprising a container body, a vertical partition in the body dividing the interior into two compartments, the container body adjacent the bottom being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed lateral 15 dispensing apertures each associated with one of said compartments, a false bottom in the container body at substantially the height of said apertures .and adapted to support stacks of dispensable articles disposed one stack in each com- 20 partment, a tongue in one of said compartments and slidably disposed on said false bottom beneath the stack of articles normally held in said compartment, said tongue having one end extending exteriorly of its compartment through the asso- 23 ciated dispensing aperture, and a link member hingedly connected with the inner end of said tongue and the lower end of said partition and normally disposed vertically between the lower most articles of said stacks, said link member up- 30 on inward or outward movement of said tongue being adapted to be swung in a corresponding direction for projecting the lowermost dispensable article in one or other of said compartments through the associated dispensing aperture, the 35 container body being provided with a slot extending in substantial registration with each stack of the dispensable articles for giving access to and facilitating loading of the articles.

4. An advertising and dispensing cardboard 4ocontainer made up of a single blank formed to provide an uninterrupted front advertising panel, the blank being thereafter suitably creased and continued around to provide .a side, a rear and a second side wall and returned and secured underneath said front panel for substantially half the distance thereacross, being thereafter extended across and secured to the rear wall to provide a vertical partition dividing the container body thus formed into two compartments adapted 50 each to have a stack of dispensable articles disposed therein, the side walls being provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed dispensing apertures associated one each with one of said compartments, the lower end of said partition being ex- 5? tended outwardly of one of said compartments through the associated dispensing aperture to provide a tongue slidably disposed under the stack normally held in this compartment, a score line adjacent the inner end of the tongue .and parallel 6o with the juncture line of said partition and tongue, said lines forming between them a link member normally disposed vertically between the lowermost articles of said stacks, said link member upon inward or outward movement of said tongue 65 being adapted to be swung in a corresponding direction for projecting the lowermost dispensable article in one or other of said compartments through the associated dispensing aperture. 7

FRANK A. MARX. 

